Public Affairs Radio

When we hear the term “psychopath,” we usually think of serial killers or other nasty villains. Rarely does anyone think of the mild-mannered neuroscientist next door. We talk to a psychologist and to a neuroscientist who happens to be psychopathic, about what the term actually means in the medical world, how it’s tested for in various people, the traits that most often set it apart from other conditions, and how many people who have psychopathic tendencies can function in a non-violent, productive way.

Its seems that when the topic of abortion comes up in the media, there are two distinct sides voicing their opinions with no middle ground or real conversation on the topic. The debate over this issue and other touchy topics these days usually disintegrates into an “Us vs. Them” shouting match, leaving many on both sides and in the middle angry and dissatisfied. Our guest offers a new way to discuss abortion – without taking sides, without name-calling or raised voices — that brings the issue to a more personal and compassionate level.

Synopsis: Its seems that when the topic of abortion comes up in the media, there are two distinct sides voicing their opinions with no middle ground or real conversation on the topic. The debate over this issue and other touchy topics these days usually disintegrates into an “Us vs. Them” shouting match, leaving many on both sides and in the middle angry and dissatisfied. Our guest offers a new way to discuss abortion – without taking sides, without name-calling or raised voices — that brings the issue to a more personal and compassionate level.

Host: Marty Peterson. Guests: Aspen Baker, co-founder and executive director of Exhale, author of the book, “Pro-Voice: How to keep listening when the world wants a fight.”

Synopsis: When we hear the term “psychopath,” we usually think of serial killers or other nasty villains. Rarely does anyone think of the mild-mannered neuroscientist next door. We talk to a psychologist and to a neuroscientist who happens to be psychopathic, about what the term actually means in the medical world, how it’s tested for in various people, the traits that most often set it apart from other conditions, and how many people who have psychopathic tendencies can function in a non-violent, productive way.

Host:Gary Price. Guests: Scott Lilienfeld, Professor of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia; James Fallon, neuroscientist at University of California-Irvine, author of “The Psychopath Inside: A neuroscientists personal journey into the dark side of the brain.”

Synopsis: We hear that we should be happy, and that happiness helps you live longer, brings more tranquility to your life, and to the lives of your family and friends. But do you know what happiness truly is? We talk to a psychologist and a philosopher about the essence of happiness, how to find it and how it’s different from person to person and across the globe.

Host: Gary Price. Guests: Tim Bono, assistant dean in the college of arts and sciences, and a lecturer in psychology at Washington University, St. Louis; Frederic Lenoir, philosopher, sociologist and religious historian. Author of the book, Happiness: A philosopher’s guide.

Synopsis: The President of the United States has a lot of powers that we think are given to him by the U.S. Constitution. You might be surprised to find out, however, that very little in that document actually outlines the job or the authority the Commander-in-Chief possesses. We talk to a historian about how executive powers and privilege for the President were created not by Congress but by the first man to hold the nation’s highest office.

Host: Marty Peterson. Guest: Harlow Giles Unger, historian and author of the book, Mr. President: George Washington and the making of the nation’s highest office.

Synopsis: Jazz is the quintessential American music genre, and nobody sings it better than Sheila Jordan. We talk to Jordan and her biographer about Jordan’s rise from poverty to her career singing with some of the most famous jazz musicians of the 20th century, the racism that jazz musicians – both black and white – experienced, and the need to preserve this music for future generations.

Synopsis: Crime novels are among the most popular reading in the U.S., and nobody writes a more engaging, suspenseful and factually accurate story than award-winning and best-selling novelist Patricia Cornwell. Her Kay Scarpetta series is full of detailed forensic information, and we talked to her about how she gathers her facts and actually experiences some of the dangerous situations that she puts her heroine through in her books.

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